By now you have probably heard the term STEM being passed around everywhere from White House news feeds to local classrooms. Referring to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, STEM education is seen as the new vehicle for innovation, maintaining America’s economic lead in the world, and, the source of tomorrow’s careers. If you do not already know about […]

One of the best parts of my job is getting out of the office and into the community. Recently, I had the opportunity to visit Ivy Preparatory Academy, an all-girl charter school in Gwinnett County, GA. As I toured Ivy Prep, hallways lined with college banners, neatly uniformed students, and eager eyes fixed on instructors […]

Over at Latinas for Latino Lit (L4LL), my partner Monica Olivera and I psyched to announce “L4LL Hispanic Heritage Month: Festival of Books” where we honor Latino contributions to the U.S. in history, politics, public service, the arts, and sports beginning this Sunday, September 15 through Tuesday, October 15, 2013. This month-long event which comes on the heels […]

I am a true believer that success starts at home, and that few things are more powerful than the love of familia. In last week’s Education Wednesday, 2 College “Conversation” to Have with Yunior, I encouraged harnessing the power of family to build a culture of college, assemble a support network and nurture thoughts of […]

Back-to-school season is a great time to start thinking about preparing for college. Yes, even if you have little ones! Why? No matter the age of your student, it is never too early to plant the seeds for later success, especially among minorities and Latinos who are increasing their college enrollment. A recent ACT report noted a 94% increase in Latino test takers since 2009. Earlier […]

At Latinas for Latino Literature (L4LL), the literacy and education organization I co-founded, our “communications strategy” is based on the ol’ principle: que corra la voz del pueblo–old fashioned word of mouth. But when you’re able to tell your story to a bigger part of el pueblo, well, that just means more people will have […]

It’s been a little shhhh this week on The Wise Latina Club. For those who don’t know, the literacy organization I co-founded Latinas for Latino Literature (L4LL) started the first, online, nationwide Latino children’s summer reading program, currently underway. This project was born in our hearts with demands, benchmarks, and deadlines that have consumed my […]

It’s not often that an opinionated Latina is sshhhh–insert the sound of crickets on The Wise Latina Club–like I was last week. With my partner Monica Olivera in our education and literacy venture Latinas for Latino Literature, we launched our biggest project in our six months of existence: the Latino Children’s Summer Reading Program! Other summer reading programs by recognizable giants in […]